Sun and Classic Cars Galore: Walter Röhrl in Classic Opel Racing Cars at Olympia Rally ’72 Revival

• Anniversary tour: Röhrl completes Cologne to Speyer stage in legendary Opel models
• Classic cars with the “Blitz”: Opel wows the public with "Kulläng" Rallye Kadett, Commodore GS/E Coupé and rally namesake Olympia
• Modern eyecatcher: Organisers on the road in the electrified Opel Astra Plug-in-Hybrid
• Hot, hot, hot: Midsummer temperatures make participants sweat

The bigger, the better: The unique Olympia Rally ’72 Revival has been captivating spectators since Monday. This is ensured by almost 200 teams from 9 nations being on the road in legendary rally cars and many other historic vehicles. And the midsummer weather, which has accompanied the drivers, organisers and the public on their tour from north to south all week long, has contributed to the buzzing atmosphere. Right in the middle of it all is Opel and rally veteran Walter Röhrl: also celebrating his jubilee this year, the 75-year-old did not miss the opportunity to take part in the Rally Revival. Yesterday, the double world champion completed the day’s stage from Cologne to Speyer in two Opel models – as befitting for the 160th anniversary of Opel.

Yesterday morning, Röhrl started the stage in an Opel Kadett GT/E Coupé. After the lunch stop in Pferdsfeld, he then switched to a 1982 Opel Ascona 400 – a car with which he celebrated numerous successes, t above all the victory at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1982. Röhrl then drove up in style at the Technik Museum Speyer, the day’s finish of the stage.

Along the route and at the respective stage destinations, the spectators were able to take a look at even more models with the typical Opel “Blitz” this week. In keeping with the title of the rally, the Opel Olympia was not to be missed. The model that gained attention here was a 1967 Olympia 1100 SR with 44 kW/60 hp. And finally, an equally legendary Rallye Kadett, driven in the 1970s by Swedish rally ace Anders Kulläng and his co-pilot Bruno Berglund, showed its timeless beauty. The Olympia Rally Revival team in the Kadett was made up of ADAC Honorary Sports President Hermann Tomczyk and motorsport veteran Günther Holzer.

Opel is also showing that even at Germany’s largest classic car revival, it is not only the historic cars that can inspire by providing the organisers with a new Astra plug-in hybrid, which will be in use as a crew vehicle until the end of the rally on Saturday. The latest generation of the compact class bestseller is not only a real eyecatcher with Opel Vizor, digitised Pure Panel and top technologies, it also matches the rally’s climate-neutral concept. The electrified Opel provides a system output of 133 kW/180 hp and a powerful 360 Newton metres of maximum torque (WLTP combined fuel consumption¹: 1.1 l/100 km, CO₂ emissions 26-24 g/km). In pure electric mode, the five-door compact can cover up to 60 km locally emissions-free (WLTP²).

^[1] The fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions figures mentioned comply with the WLTP homologation (regulation EU 2017/948). The fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions figures may vary depending on specific equipment, options and format of tires.

^[2] Provisional range determined according to WLTP test procedure methodology (R (EC) No. 715/2007, R (EU) No. 2017/1151). The actual range can vary under everyday conditions and depends on various factors, in particular on personal driving style, route characteristics, outside temperature, use of heating and air conditioning and thermal preconditioning.